'Govt had expressed concerns over UK House debate on Kashmir'

The Government on Tuesday said it had expressed its concerns with the UK government over a debate on the 'political and humanitarian situation in Kashmir' that was held in UK House of Commons on September 11, last year.

New Delhi: The Government on Tuesday said it had expressed its concerns with the UK government over a debate on the 'political and humanitarian situation in Kashmir' that was held in UK House of Commons on September 11, last year.

In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (retd) V K Singh said, "Government of India has expressed its concern on the issue at different levels with the UK Government, which has stated that, in a parliamentary dDemocracy they do not have control over parliamentary process and over decisions of parliamentarians to express their views on any matter."

Singh said that government's consistent and principled position is that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the Union of India.

"A part of the territory of the state is under the forcible and illegal occupation of Pakistan. Under the Shimla Agreement, India and Pakistan are committed to resolving all outstanding issues, including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, through a peaceful bilateral dialogue. There is no role whatsoever for a third party," Singh said in his reply.